Evaluation of Barley and Wheat Germplasm for Resistance to Head Blight and Mycotoxin Production by Fusarium asiaticum and F. graminearum.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most serious diseases in barley and wheat, as it is usually accompanied by the production of harmful mycotoxins in the grains. To identify FHB-resistant breeding resources, we evaluated 60 elite germplasm accessions of barley (24) and wheat (36) for FHB and mycotoxin accumulation. Assessments were performed in a greenhouse and five heads per accession were inoculated with both Fusarium asiaticum (Fa73, nivalenol producer) and F.

Characterization of Nivalenol-Producing That Causes Cereal Head Blight in Korea.

of the species complex causes head blight in small-grain cereals. The nivalenol (NIV) chemotypes of is more common than the deoxynivalenol (DON) chemotypes of or in Korea. To understand the prevalence of NIV in Korean cereals, we characterized the biological traits of 80 cereal isolates of producing NIV or 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (3-ADON), and 54 with 3-ADON or 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (15-ADON).

Characterization of DA12 Showing Potent Antifungal Activity against Mycotoxigenic Species.

In an attempt to develop a biological control agent against mycotoxigenic species, we isolated strain DA12 from soil and explored its antimicrobial activities. DA12 was active against the growth of mycotoxigenic , , , and both and (maize). Further screening using dual culture extended the activity range of strain DA12 against other fungal pathogens including , , , , , and .

Mycobiota of ground red pepper and their aflatoxigenic potential.

To investigate contamination of ground red pepper with fungi and mycotoxin, we obtained 30 ground red pepper samples from 15 manufacturers in the main chili-pepper-producing areas in Korea. Fungal contamination was evaluated by spreading diluted samples on potato dextrose agar plates. The total fungi counts ranged from 0 to 7.